Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Vass You dere, Sharlie? That was the question, at least from Jack Pearl's Baron Munchhausen character to the straight man, Charlie, brought to life by Ben Bard and the Cliff Hall, who didn't always believe the good Baron's tall tales.

Pearl, born in one of the world's show biz capitals, New York City, started in Vaudeville and took his comedy act to radio in 1932 on The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air. It was on that program that the outlandish German caricature, Baron Munchhausen, was born. Let's recall, though, that he also starred as the host of The Lucky Strike Hour from '32-'34.

Monday, October 27, 2014

October 27, 1947: Radio soap operaThis is Nora Drake debuted on NBC. The show mainly revolved around solving domestic, communal, and child upbringing issues. The program reached its end in January of 1959.

Airing for over a decade, This is Nora Drake featured the story of Nora, portrayed initially by Charlotte Holland and then later by actresses Joan Tompkins and Mary Jane Higby.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

One of the most quotable men of all time, Winston Churchill, contributed to old time radio with his amazing speeches.

One such speech came on the occasion of Hitler's invasion of Russia on June 22, 1941. "Hitler is a monster of wickedness," Churchill intoned into BBC microphones, "insatiable in his lust for blood and plunder. So now, this bloodthirsty gutter snipe must launch his mechanized army at the new fields of slaughter, pillage, and devastation."

Also broadcast on the BBC were speeches that go by the titles "War of the Unknown Warrior," "Give Us the Tools," and "These are Great Days," "We Shall Never Surrender."

Some rumors hold that it wasn't Churchill himself who delivered the speeches, but an actor, perhaps Norman Shelley, who did actually claim to have done so. In either case, it was Churchill who wrote the inspiring words.

The Prime Minister's first radio address came as German forces were marauding across France, and he took it as one of his most solemn duties to do his best, through his oration, to boost the morale of the Allies.

Churchill, the son of Lord Randolph Churchill and an American mother, became British Prime Minister in 1940.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

The lovely Joan Fontaine led a colorful and unusual childhood, alternately living in California and Japan.

As soon as she struck adulthood she began auditioning for Hollywood film roles, racking up a spree of parts in B-movies. A breakthrough role was in Hitchcock's Rebecca, in which she co-starred with Laurence Olivier.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Ohhh, do we gave a good one today! If you're a knowledgeable devotee of radio's yesteryear, you live for a figure like Carleton Young. He was the star of a strange, obscure and short-lived radio series called Whisperer. If you remember this one, you're doing well! Young's character was the lawyer Philip Gault, who'd gotten into a car accident in which his voice had been reduced to a creepy whisper. He figured while he was at it, he'd infiltrate organized crime cells and lead them to the police.

As interesting as that sounds, Young's output as an actor across his career was just as colorful, including parts it a panoply of projects included Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Reefer Madness, the original (1937) Dick Tracy, and From Here To Eternity. We wish a happy birthday to Mr. Young, who got started on this day in 1905.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Francis was a New York native and a Finch College graduate, who achieved a relatively painless entry into show business. Her first big play appearance was when she was a mere 21, and she would go on to act in 25 Broadway plays.

Radio-wise, the fetching starlet joined the cast of the intelligent and challenging game show "What's My Line?" The show was hosted by John Charles Daly and featured, along with Francis, high-brow personages such as Bennett Cerf and Dorothy Kilgallen.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Isn't it true that America's favorite courtroom drama began on radio today in 1943?Isn't it true that the author of the novels on which it is based withdrew his support for a primetime version of the daily serial version?Isn't it true that the radio version later came to TV transformed into "the Edge of Night"?Isn't it true it's Perry Mason?Well, isn't it?

Earl Stanley Gardner despised the Perry Masonradio version of his work, and would only support a TV version if it adhered more closely to his novels, which it did with Raymond Burr in the lead role.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Scandalous author, incurable wit, and patron saint of cheeky wags, Oscar Wilde was born on this day in 1854. His work became a mainstay on radio, with plays such as An Ideal Husband, The Importance of Being Earnest, and The Picture of Dorian Gray being regularly adapted.

His biting aphorisms make his work ideal for delivery by comedic radio actors. Though he may have found the sentiment trite, we bid a happy birthday to playwright Oscar Wilde.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Hold on to your hats, buckaroos and buckarettes: today, we're bidding happy birthday to a public relations man! It's no pretty business, working to protect corporations and other often-guilty parties.

But in addition to that line of work, Tex McCrary is often credited with being one of the pioneers of the radio talk-show format.

Born as John Reagan McCrary on this day in 1910, Tex broadcast two radio shows with his wife, Jinx. Subjects were as weighty as venereal disease and the A-bomb. On their show "Meet Tex and Jinx," the couple broadcast from a catbird seat just outside New York City's Waldorf-Astoria hotel. They would grab celebs coming and going from the swanky lodging and cajole them into appearing on the air. Thus the modern talk show was born.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

October 11, 1948: America’s afternoon radio soap opera The Brighter Day showed up in the town of Three Rivers and remained on radio for 6 years. The program was based on Dennis and his children. Famous actors like William Redfield and Hal Holbrook were part of the program. Show’s sponsors Blue Cheer detergent, Ivory Soap flakes and Hazel Bishop Lipstick are still seen in the market today.The Brighter Day was a radio soap opera that owed its beginning to the series Joyce Jordan, MD, where Joyce introduced the character of Liz Dennis. Liz's character became so popular that it resulted in the discontinuation Joyce's series.

The soap had both a radio and TV series, which were aired simultaneously. Other characters that gave life to the story included Liz's sisters Althea, Barbara, and Patsy, and their father Reverend Richard Dennis.